another advice thread, this time work-related...

[ed miliband]

hey, so, at the beginning of summer i was desperate for a job, getting really depressed about not having one 'cos of money and boredom. i managed to get a job doing banqueting shifts at a posh club/hotel, partly through knowing someone there who works in the kitchen. i'm employed by the company but as a 'casual' worker, so basically i have no rights whatsoever, despite doing the same hours as full-time people.

now, there isn't a lot of work in the banqueting dept. so i was asked if i wanted to do some work as a porter and i agreed, not knowing what this would entail. basically, it means working twelve hour shifts standing in a lobby, pressing a button to let people in and greeting them. twelve hours. you can't really read, or look at your phone, and the only official break is half an hour long. of course, 'cos you work so long the wages are lower than they would otherwise be. until a few months ago, these shifts were eight hours long - i was told management wanted to up them to fourteen but stopped at twelve.

still though, it takes me an hour to get to work and an hour back, so i essentially end up doing fourteen hours.

i've done three of these shifts so far, i have two more this week, and i feel dead inside. i've had bouts of mental illness (depression, anxiety, etc.), all borne of having too much free time with nothing to do. at least then i could read or whatever... here... it's there's no form of escape or mental exercise.

i realise i basically sound like a spoilt kid coming to terms with the reality of working, but i've had jobs before and whilst i've obviously not enjoyed them, i've never felt so repulsed about the thought of going to bed knowing i'd have to wake up and face the day.

organising and talk of politics is a big no-no, especially 'cos i'm simply 'casual'. i won't be fired, they just won't invite me to do more work.

what should i do?

[Zav]

You should leave and find a job at McDonald's. A motion sensor and voice recording can do your job. Being a 'casual worker' is just another way to say 'lol, wer goin give you less of ur hard earned moneyz, k?'.

[Manic Impressive]

two options find a way to cope or quit. I had similar situations but never for such long time periods. I take it there's no receptionist you can talk to or leaving your post to talk to anyone? Maybe get a carefully concealed ipod with audio books on it. Or maybe start practicing meditation techniques.

[Lynx]

Quietly look for another job to replace the one you find boring.

[Lenina Rosenweg]

I guess you don't get overtime for your 14 hour days?

This may not be easy but as MI said you could try to find ways of making the gig more bearable.Do some sort of meditation or yoga exercise. If there are many people to greet greeting can break up the monotony or at least provide some human contact.

You could try surreptitiously filming the people you're supposed to greet-be extremely careful about being caught though. If you can get away with it you can try on different personas when you greet people.I assume you're in the UK someplace-try a London accent, a Mancurian accent, Glaswegian accent or a US southern accent.Be American, Swedish, Russian or any other persona.Make up a story about your childhood in Tennessee and if you get a chance share it with the posh people you greet.

If the job becomes unbearable and disturbing it would be better to quit though.

Unfortunately there are no eaasy answers. This is the period of late capitalism.

[#FF0000]

Quietly look for another job to replace the one you find boring.

This is pretty much the best answer, even though that shit might be hard given so little free time.

Maybe carry around a notebook or something and take up writing? I've had jobs in the past where I got away with writing during my down time because, I figure, writing looks like work.

Especially working behind a counter or desk, I'd imagine.

[Book O'Dead]

The porter job seems to suck a big one.

If you can't find employment that makes time appear to go faster as well as have the other things you require (better wages, 'permanence', etc.), stick to the one you already have; wouldn't you rather be bored while earning wages than be bored at home getting nothing but a steady dose of daytime TV?

IOW's, try to stick it out if for no other reason than you need the money.

[Vladimir Innit Lenin]

I used to work at a posh business hotel too, doing C & B. Was hard. Low pay, shifts of 8, 10 12+ hours and, as you say, as casual workers we have almost literally no legal rights.

If you really need the money then just keep that in your mind and try to cope. If you don't, then don't make yourself ill over a job that's not necessary to your survival.

Hit me up a PM if you wanna discuss further. I've had many jobs over the past few years. Gotten to know which are shit and which are more manageable.

[ed miliband]

an update: i'm probably not gonna stick with it. the boss (the user, not my actual boss) put it best, "don't make yourself ill over a job that's not necessary to your survival". it's not so much that the job will make me ill, but that i have a variety of problems that need sorting out and the job certainly exacerbates them. i'm going to the gp about my issues more generally and will ask for advice with regards to the job, then i'm gonna contact my shift manager with whatever my gp says and request either shorter hours, less shifts (i mean, i reckon i could do this once or twice a week, just not three or four days a week, day after day), or work in another dept. i figure they have to take this seriously if it's on medical grounds.

ideally i'll be put back to doing banquets. it's not nice work, but it keeps the mind occupied and the pay is better. i was told i'd only be doing one shift as a porter, then suddenly i became a full-timer on the company schedule, despite my only right as a casual basically being the ability to turn down work if it was unsuitable for me (and i was explicitly told this when i started...). i hate being fucked over like this.

thanks guys.

[Book O'Dead]

an update: i'm probably not gonna stick with it. the boss (the user, not my actual boss) put it best, "don't make yourself ill over a job that's not necessary to your survival". it's not so much that the job will make me ill, but that i have a variety of problems that need sorting out and the job certainly exacerbates them. i'm going to the gp about my issues more generally and will ask for advice with regards to the job, then i'm gonna contact my shift manager with whatever my gp says and request either shorter hours, less shifts (i mean, i reckon i could do this once or twice a week, just not three or four days a week, day after day), or work in another dept. i figure they have to take this seriously if it's on medical grounds.

ideally i'll be put back to doing banquets. it's not nice work, but it keeps the mind occupied and the pay is better. i was told i'd only be doing one shift as a porter, then suddenly i became a full-timer on the company schedule, despite my only right as a casual basically being the ability to turn down work if it was unsuitable for me (and i was explicitly told this when i started...). i hate being fucked over like this.

thanks guys.

I don't know how it is the UK as far workplace concessions are concerned, but I would never assume anything good on the part of the employer. The only thing they take seriously is their profit margin and, in the case of management, a pat on the head from the big boss.

Just don't jump into or out of anything without giving it a good deal of self-protective thought.

[ed miliband]

I don't know how it is the UK as far workplace concessions are concerned, but I would never assume anything good on the part of the employer. The only thing they take seriously is their profit margin and, in the case of management, a pat on the head from the big boss.

Just don't jump into or out of anything without giving it a good deal of self-protective thought.

so yeah, this guy was right.

i did a few more shifts and then sent the hr person an email very (very!) politely asking if there was any chance of me getting any shifts in banqueting, y'know, the job i applied for... i hinted at the fact that i have some underlying issues that make the nature of the portering work difficult.

and i never got a response. this was two weeks ago.

ah well.